Introduction

Many people have a perception of what the job of a fashion buyer is like and believe that it is predominantly concerned with selecting designer labels and attending glamorous catwalk shows. This may be true of some boutique buying and it may reflect the experience of buyers for certain department stores and catalogues stocking Designer ready-to-wear items. However, it is not true for most fashion which is bought and sold through well known high street fashion retail brands. The job of a buyer in most high street fashion retailers is more hard work than glamour and requires strong commercial ability as much as it does knowledge of fashion design.